PCB chief admits Indo-Pak series in December unlikely

Karachi :Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan today admitted that chances of the bilateral series between his country and India taking place in December are now very slim.

The former career diplomat admitted that the conditions in which the talks between the National Security Advisors of the two countries were called off do not augur well for resumption of Indo-Pak cricket relations.

“We were very hopeful that a lot of ice would melt with the NSA level talks and it would help cricket but unfortunately things are not looking good now for the series in December,” he said.

“The series with India does not look possible now and it is a big loss for cricket but we will try although I do not think it will lead to anything. We have always said that politics and sports should be kept apart. But apparently India does not think this way,” he said.

BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur also tweeted yesterday that there will be no revival of cricketing relations between the two countries if Pakistan harbours Dawood Ibrahim and makes attempts to indulge in dialogue with separatist leaders.

Khan said he had met and briefed Sartaj Aziz, the national security advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister, on the existing situation in Indo-Pak cricket relations and asked him to take up the issue with the Indians.

The PCB chief, who has remained High Commissioner in India, said that Pakistan would now look at plan B options.

“We have to now seriously look at a Plan B for a series in December because we were supposed to host India in this period. We do not have many options but those we do we will work on them.”

Pakistan and India have not played a full bilateral Test series since 2007 although Pakistan did tour India in the winter of 2012/13 to play three ODIs and two T20 matches.